Modifying the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 136 (Friday, July 17, 2026)]

[Presidential Documents]

[Pages 45179-45185]

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 2026-14549]

Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 91 , No. 136 / Friday, July 17, 2026 /

Presidential Documents

[[Page 45179]]

Proclamation 11044 of July 13, 2026

Modifying the Grand Staircase-Escalante National

Monument

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On September 18, 1996, as part of an effort to prevent

development of significant coal reserves and other

resources on the Kaiparowits Plateau, President Clinton

issued Proclamation 6920, which established the Grand

Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Monument) in the

State of Utah, reserving approximately 1.7 million

acres of Federal lands as part of the Monument, and

directing that it be managed by the Department of the

Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

On December 4, 2017, exercising my authority under

section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (the

``Antiquities Act''), I issued Proclamation 9682 to

modify the boundaries of the Monument, ensure proper

management, and more closely reflect the intent of the

Antiquities Act. Proclamation 9682 removed

approximately 860,000 acres from the Monument

section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (the

``Antiquities Act''), I issued Proclamation 9682 to

modify the boundaries of the Monument, ensure proper

management, and more closely reflect the intent of the

Antiquities Act. Proclamation 9682 removed

approximately 860,000 acres from the Monument. On

October 8, 2021, President Biden issued Proclamation

10286, increasing the size of the Monument to

approximately 1.87 million acres, the size of the

Monument immediately prior to the issuance of

Proclamation 9682.

The Antiquities Act authorizes the President to declare

historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric

structures, and other objects of historic or scientific

interest that are situated on land owned or controlled

by the Federal Government to be national monuments. The

Antiquities Act further requires that any parcel of

land reserved as part of a monument be confined to the

smallest area compatible with the proper care and

management of the objects to be protected. Where the

President determines that the structures and objects

identified by a prior monument proclamation no longer

are, or never were, deserving of the Antiquities Act's

protections, the Antiquities Act permits the President

to remove land from the monument and return it to its

prior federally managed status

President determines that the structures and objects

identified by a prior monument proclamation no longer

are, or never were, deserving of the Antiquities Act's

protections, the Antiquities Act permits the President

to remove land from the monument and return it to its

prior federally managed status. Determining the

appropriate protective area involves examining several

factors, including the uniqueness and nature of the

objects to be protected, the nature of the protection

needed, the protection provided to those objects by

other laws, executive department and agency resources

available to manage the parcel, and whether the lands

are better suited for other non-monument uses.

Proclamation 10286 suffers from several flaws that

warrant its reconsideration. First, Proclamation 10286

was premised on the purported need to protect items

that are not historic landmarks, historic or

prehistoric structures, or objects of historic or

scientific interest. This included a long list of

generic topographic and geologic features such as

``vast and austere landscape[s],'' ``sedimentary rock

layers,'' and ``bold plateaus and multihued cliffs.''

These generic features described in Proclamation 10286

do not become ``landmarks,'' ``structures,'' or

``objects of historic or scientific interest'' worthy

of protection under the Antiquities Act simply because

they are scenic.

edimentary rock

layers,'' and ``bold plateaus and multihued cliffs.''

These generic features described in Proclamation 10286

do not become ``landmarks,'' ``structures,'' or

``objects of historic or scientific interest'' worthy

of protection under the Antiquities Act simply because

they are scenic.

Second, certain landmarks, structures, or objects

identified in Proclamation 10286 that could, in other

circumstances, have the necessary historic or

scientific interest, are not unique to the Monument,

and their relative commonness suggests that the

specific instances of such objects found within the

Monument are not of particular historic or scientific

interest. Examples of these relatively common objects

include cultural, paleontological, and

[[Page 45180]]

geological resources within the Monument that are found

throughout the Four Corners region and, in some cases,

throughout the American West. Accordingly, a monument

reservation was neither necessary nor appropriate to

protect items that are not historic landmarks, historic

or prehistoric structures, or other objects of historic

or scientific interest or items that may qualify as

such but are sufficiently common to not warrant

protection under the Antiquities Act.

reservation was neither necessary nor appropriate to

protect items that are not historic landmarks, historic

or prehistoric structures, or other objects of historic

or scientific interest or items that may qualify as

such but are sufficiently common to not warrant

protection under the Antiquities Act.

Third, because Proclamation 10286 expanded the land

reserved for the Monument only to protect objects of no

significant historic or scientific interest, that

Proclamation disregarded the Antiquities Act's

requirement that the reservation of Federal lands for a

national monument be confined to the ``smallest area

compatible with the proper care and management of the

objects to be protected.'' Had the reservation been

properly tailored to protect only those objects

warranting protection under the Antiquities Act, it

would have been much smaller.

Finally, the added reservation of land was unnecessary

to protect many of the objects of historic or

scientific identified by Proclamation 10286, which are

already subject to the enhanced protections provided

under Federal laws enacted after the Antiquities Act

that preserve archaeological, historic, cultural,

paleontological resources as well as plants and

animals, and their respective habitats. These laws,

including the Archaeological Resources Protection Act

of 1979 (16 U.S.C. 470aa-470mm), National Historic

Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.), Bald and

Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668-668d),

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C

animals, and their respective habitats. These laws,

including the Archaeological Resources Protection Act

of 1979 (16 U.S.C. 470aa-470mm), National Historic

Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.), Bald and

Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668-668d),

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et

seq.), Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988

(16 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.), Federal Land Policy and

Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.),

Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-712), Native

American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1976

(25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.), and Paleontological Resources

Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470aaa-470aaa-11),

authorize the BLM to limit and condition activities on

Federal lands for the protection of certain natural and

cultural resources, whether they are within or outside

a national monument.

For instance, the BLM manages more than 800,000 acres

of the Monument as Wilderness Study Areas, which the

BLM is required by law to manage so as not to impair

their suitability for future congressional designation

as Wilderness. As a result, many of the objects

previously designated as monuments by Proclamation

10286 are already adequately protected by Federal law

and do not require a reservation of land under the

Antiquities Act for protection.

impair

their suitability for future congressional designation

as Wilderness. As a result, many of the objects

previously designated as monuments by Proclamation

10286 are already adequately protected by Federal law

and do not require a reservation of land under the

Antiquities Act for protection.

The Monument reservation established by Proclamation

10286 is, therefore, not confined to the smallest area

compatible with the proper care and management of those

objects worthy of the Antiquity Act's protection.

Proper care and management can instead be provided to

those objects of historic and scientific interest by a

smaller and more appropriate reservation of

approximately 181,541 acres comprising two units: the

Canyons of the Escalante Unit and Kaiparowits Horizon

Unit. Revising the boundaries of the Monument in this

way will ensure that, in accordance with the

Antiquities Act, the reservation is the smallest area

compatible with the proper care and management of the

objects to be protected. Revising the Monument's

boundaries to encompass approximately 181,541 acres

will also account for practical limitations on the

BLM's land management resources and funding, ensuring

that these remain adequate to provide proper care and

management for the Monument now and in the future.

objects to be protected. Revising the Monument's

boundaries to encompass approximately 181,541 acres

will also account for practical limitations on the

BLM's land management resources and funding, ensuring

that these remain adequate to provide proper care and

management for the Monument now and in the future.

Revising the boundaries will better align the use of

these public lands with the public interest. The Grand

Staircase-Escalante region contains several resources

that are vital to our economic and national security.

These resources include several critical minerals, such

as chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese,

molybdenum, nickel, silver, thorium, titanium, uranium,

vanadium, zinc, and zirconium, create jobs, fuel

prosperity, and are essential to important sectors of

the economy of the United States, including

[[Page 45181]]

defense, manufacturing, and transportation. It is

imperative that the United States not be dependent on

foreign sources of these resources. Modifying the

Monument's boundaries will help ensure that adequate

domestic supplies exist, thereby reducing the threat

posed by our Nation's reliance on foreign sources.

defense, manufacturing, and transportation. It is

imperative that the United States not be dependent on

foreign sources of these resources. Modifying the

Monument's boundaries will help ensure that adequate

domestic supplies exist, thereby reducing the threat

posed by our Nation's reliance on foreign sources.

The approximately 172,641-acre Canyons of the Escalante

Unit contains the heart of the lands that remain within

the Monument. Carved by the Escalante River and its

tributaries, this area contains objects of historic or

scientific interest worthy of protection, including the

130-foot-tall Escalante Natural Bridge. This area also

boasts Calf Creek Canyon, a canyon of red alcoved walls

with expanses of white slickrock, and other canyons

along the Escalante River that contain a high density

of Fremont prehistoric sites, including pithouses,

villages, and storage cysts, as well as petroglyphs and

pictographs, such as the Hundred Hands pictograph

panel. The canyon of the Escalante River and its

tributary canyons contain one of the highest densities

of rock art sites in southwestern Utah outside of

Capitol Reef National Park, with sites dating from the

Archaic to the Historic periods. There are also

historic sites of interest in the area related to

grazing and ranching, along with the Boulder Mail

Trail, which was used to ferry mail between the small

desert outpost towns of Escalante and Boulder beginning

in 1902.

ark, with sites dating from the

Archaic to the Historic periods. There are also

historic sites of interest in the area related to

grazing and ranching, along with the Boulder Mail

Trail, which was used to ferry mail between the small

desert outpost towns of Escalante and Boulder beginning

in 1902.

Objects of historic and scientific interest can also be

found in the approximately 8,900-acre Kaiparowits

Horizon Unit. A recently discovered bonebed assemblage

has produced rare specimens of theropods, including one

of the most complete tyrannosaurid specimens in the

region and well-preserved remains of hadrosaurs,

turtles, and crocodilians. The site has provided

critical insights into the ancient ecosystems of the

Western Interior Seaway and the rich diversity of

dinosaurs, reptiles, and other vertebrates and is

considered a globally important paleontological

resource. Accordingly, the establishment of the

Kaiparowits Horizon Unit serves not only to properly

care for and manage this uniquely intact snapshot of

ancient biodiversity and environmental conditions, but

also to foster continued research, education, and

stewardship of a singular resource for the benefit of

future generations.

shment of the

Kaiparowits Horizon Unit serves not only to properly

care for and manage this uniquely intact snapshot of

ancient biodiversity and environmental conditions, but

also to foster continued research, education, and

stewardship of a singular resource for the benefit of

future generations.

Accordingly, the area described above and on the

accompanying map are the smallest area compatible with

the proper care and management of those objects

identified above, which I have determined in my

discretion warrant protection under the Antiquities

Act. This modification of Grand Staircase-Escalante

National Monument will maintain and protect those

objects and preserve the area's cultural, scientific,

and historic legacy.

WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States

Code, authorizes the President, in his discretion, to

declare by public proclamation historic landmarks,

historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects

of historic or scientific interest that are situated

upon the lands owned or controlled by the Federal

Government to be national monuments, and to reserve as

a part thereof parcels of land; and

WHEREAS, the Antiquities Act permits the President, in

the President's discretion, to alter a prior

declaration of a national monument, including by

finding that objects identified in the prior

declaration either are no longer deserving of the

Antiquities Act's protections, or never were; and

and

WHEREAS, the Antiquities Act permits the President, in

the President's discretion, to alter a prior

declaration of a national monument, including by

finding that objects identified in the prior

declaration either are no longer deserving of the

Antiquities Act's protections, or never were; and

WHEREAS, many of the items and resources identified by

Proclamation 10286 are not historic landmarks, historic

structures, or otherwise objects of historic or

scientific interest of national importance and,

therefore, should not have been declared to be national

monuments under the Antiquities Act; and

WHEREAS, many of the resources and objects designated

as monuments by Proclamation 10286 do not require a

reservation of land to protect them because they are

not unique to those areas, were not under threat of

damage or destruction before designation, or are

sufficiently protected by Federal law; and

[[Page 45182]]

WHEREAS, the reservation of land established by

Proclamation 10286 was not ``the smallest area

compatible with the proper care and management of the

objects to be protected;'' and

WHEREAS, given the greater budgetary and resource

constraints of the BLM than in 2017, the boundaries

established by Proclamations 9682 and 10286 encompass

areas too vast for the proper care and management of

the objects located therein; and

are and management of the

objects to be protected;'' and

WHEREAS, given the greater budgetary and resource

constraints of the BLM than in 2017, the boundaries

established by Proclamations 9682 and 10286 encompass

areas too vast for the proper care and management of

the objects located therein; and

WHEREAS, our Nation's need to reduce its reliance on

foreign sources of several resources vital to our

economic and national security, including resources

located within the Monument, is greater than it was in

2017, thereby necessitating the exclusion of lands that

were retained within the Monument by Proclamation 9682;

and

WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to modify the

boundaries of the Monument boundary to exclude

approximately 1.69 million acres of land that I find

are unnecessary for or disadvantageous to the proper

care and management of the objects to be protected

within the Monument; and

WHEREAS, I find that the boundaries of the Monument as

described above and on the accompanying map represent

the smallest area compatible with the proper care and

management of the objects of historic and scientific

interest identified above;

of the objects to be protected

within the Monument; and

WHEREAS, I find that the boundaries of the Monument as

described above and on the accompanying map represent

the smallest area compatible with the proper care and

management of the objects of historic and scientific

interest identified above;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the

United States of America, by the authority vested in me

by section 320301 of title 54, United States Code,

hereby proclaim that the boundaries of the Grand

Staircase-Escalante National Monument are hereby

modified to include those lands owned or controlled by

the Federal Government within the boundaries described

on the accompanying map, which is attached to and forms

a part of this proclamation. I hereby further proclaim

that the modified Monument areas identified on the

accompanying map shall be known as the Canyons and

Escalante Unit and the Kaiparowits Horizon Unit. These

reserved Federal lands encompass approximately 181,541

acres. The boundaries described on the accompanying map

are confined to the smallest area compatible with the

proper care and management of the objects to be

protected. Any lands reserved by Proclamations 6920,

9682, or 10286 not within the boundaries identified on

the accompanying map are hereby excluded from the

Monument.

ibed on the accompanying map

are confined to the smallest area compatible with the

proper care and management of the objects to be

protected. Any lands reserved by Proclamations 6920,

9682, or 10286 not within the boundaries identified on

the accompanying map are hereby excluded from the

Monument.

At 9:00 a.m., eastern daylight time, on the date that

is 60 days after the date of this proclamation, subject

to valid existing rights, the provisions of existing

withdrawals, and the requirements of applicable law,

the public lands excluded from the Monument reservation

shall be open to:

(1) entry, location, selection, sale, or other disposition under the public

land laws;

(2) disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing;

and

(3) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws.

Appropriation of lands under the mining laws before the

date and time of restoration is unauthorized. Any such

attempted appropriation, including attempted adverse

possession under 30 U.S.C. 38, shall vest no rights

against the United States. Acts required to establish a

location and to initiate a right of possession are

governed by State law, where not in conflict with

Federal law.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to

revoke, modify, or affect any withdrawal, reservation,

or appropriation, other than those set forth in

Proclamations 6920, 9862 and 10286.

ion and to initiate a right of possession are

governed by State law, where not in conflict with

Federal law.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to

revoke, modify, or affect any withdrawal, reservation,

or appropriation, other than those set forth in

Proclamations 6920, 9862 and 10286.

Nothing in this proclamation shall change the

management of the areas designated and reserved by

Proclamations 6920, 9682, and 10286 that remain part of

the Monument in accordance with the terms of this

proclamation, except as provided by the following nine

paragraphs:

[[Page 45183]]

For purposes of providing for the proper care and

management of the objects identified above and to

facilitate multiple uses that are consistent with the

care and management of those objects, the Secretary of

the Interior (Secretary) shall maintain a management

plan for the Monument and shall promulgate such

regulations for its management as he deems appropriate.

The Secretary, through the BLM, shall consult with

other Federal land management agencies or agency

components in the local area, including the National

Park Service, when developing any management plan. The

Secretary shall provide for public involvement in the

development of the management plan, including

consultation with federally recognized Tribes and State

and local governments

es or agency

components in the local area, including the National

Park Service, when developing any management plan. The

Secretary shall provide for public involvement in the

development of the management plan, including

consultation with federally recognized Tribes and State

and local governments. In developing and implementing

any management plan, the Secretary shall provide

opportunities, pursuant to applicable legal

authorities, for shared resources, operational

efficiency, and cooperation with other Federal land

management agencies, State and local governments, and

federally recognized Tribes. When preparing a

management plan for the Monument, the Secretary shall

take into account, to the maximum extent consistent

with the proper care and management of the objects

identified above, the importance of (1) providing

appropriate access for and otherwise facilitating

livestock grazing; (2) maintaining; and (3) improving

public access, including for recreation and hunting;

and providing educational experiences that reflect the

diversity of the Monument's natural and anthropogenic

features and their use throughout the region's history.

riate access for and otherwise facilitating

livestock grazing; (2) maintaining; and (3) improving

public access, including for recreation and hunting;

and providing educational experiences that reflect the

diversity of the Monument's natural and anthropogenic

features and their use throughout the region's history.

Nothing in this proclamation affects the designation,

maintenance, and improvement of existing roads and

trails within the Monument, which shall continue to be

governed by laws and regulations other than this

proclamation. The Secretary shall prepare a new

transportation plan that endeavors to maximize public

access in the Monument through the designation of roads

and trails on which motorized and non-motorized vehicle

use will be allowed as well as provide for appropriate

maintenance of those roads and trails. Pending

completion of that transportation plan, the Secretary

may allow motorized and non-motorized vehicle use on

roads and trails designated for use before the issuance

of Proclamation 6920 and shall maintain roads and

trails for such use.

The Secretary shall consider the effects of proposed

activities, including potential road closures, on

historic roads in the Monument, in accordance with the

regulations at 36 CFR Part 800, as appropriate.

e before the issuance

of Proclamation 6920 and shall maintain roads and

trails for such use.

The Secretary shall consider the effects of proposed

activities, including potential road closures, on

historic roads in the Monument, in accordance with the

regulations at 36 CFR Part 800, as appropriate.

Consistent with the proper care and management of the

objects identified above, the Secretary may authorize

ecological restoration and active vegetation management

activities in the Monument. When engaging in management

planning for the Monument, the Secretary shall consider

the full range of vegetation management tools,

including mechanical mastication, grazing, and new

vegetation management technology that becomes available

in the future. Additionally, because noxious weeds and

invasive plant species increase wildfire risks, the

Secretary may authorize the use of available

mechanical, natural, and chemical tools for controlling

the proliferation of noxious weed and invasive plant

species, and all treatment plans should be developed

and implemented in coordination with the Garfield and

Kane Counties Weed Boards. Livestock grazing should be

utilized as a primary option for mitigating noxious

weeds, as well as managing fuels and vegetation.

the proliferation of noxious weed and invasive plant

species, and all treatment plans should be developed

and implemented in coordination with the Garfield and

Kane Counties Weed Boards. Livestock grazing should be

utilized as a primary option for mitigating noxious

weeds, as well as managing fuels and vegetation.

In recognition of the enduring tradition of livestock

grazing in the Monument and its historical and cultural

significance to local communities, nothing in this

proclamation shall be deemed to affect authorizations

for livestock grazing, or administration thereof, on

Federal lands within the Monument. Livestock grazing

within the Monument shall continue to be governed by

the laws and regulations other than this Proclamation.

The Secretary shall endeavor to authorize traditional

land uses within the Monument, such as grazing,

recreation, timber management, public access, and

infrastructure development, to the greatest extent

possible, consistent with applicable law. Where

restrictions on proposed uses are necessary to comply

with applicable laws, such restrictions shall be

narrowly tailored.

[[Page 45184]]

The Secretary shall consider livestock grazing lands in

the Monument to constitute a traditional cultural place

(TCP) and shall consider how proposed activities will

impact that TCP in accordance with the regulation at 36

CFR Part 800, as appropriate.

ns shall be

narrowly tailored.

[[Page 45184]]

The Secretary shall consider livestock grazing lands in

the Monument to constitute a traditional cultural place

(TCP) and shall consider how proposed activities will

impact that TCP in accordance with the regulation at 36

CFR Part 800, as appropriate.

If any livestock grazing permits or leases within the

Monument are voluntarily relinquished by existing

holders, the Secretary shall, within 1 year, re-

allocate the relinquished forage, including by issuing

a new permit or lease for the relevant allotment, as

appropriate, unless the Secretary specifically finds

that such reallocation is inconsistent with the proper

care and management of the objects identified above.

If any provision of this proclamation, including its

application to a particular parcel of land, is held to

be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation shall

not be affected thereby. Furthermore, to the extent

that any provision of Proclamations 6920, 9682, or

10286 is inconsistent with or contradicts this

proclamation, the terms of this proclamation shall

govern.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this

thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two

thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the

United States of America the two hundred and fifty-

first.

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twenty-six, and of the Independence of the

United States of America the two hundred and fifty-

first.

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(Presidential Sig.)

Billing code 3395-F4-P

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